Pre-Med Recommendation Letters?

[Coco28]

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I am not planning on applying to medical school for a while (2016).
I would like to start collecting letters of recommendation from professors now because I have a good relationship with three professors currently.
I'm wondering how the letters of recommendation work with the AMCAS. It is my understanding that you must have letters sent to the application service once they are written, but you cannot create a profile until you are planning to apply?
Could somebody explain the process for submitting letters of recommendation?

 

[itsthat1guy]

I'm not familiar with the site, but I believe interfolio will let your letter writers upload their letters to their, and once you are ready to apply you can move the letters on interfolio to AMCAS (at least I think that's how it works, my school has their own website that does something similar).

 

[Pacna]

Forget your current plan on submitting letters. Here's what you're going to do:

1) Sign up and pay for an Interfolio.com account.
2) Have your letter writers upload to Interfolio.com.
3) When you are ready to apply, use Interfolio.com's convenient confidential submission to AMCAS option.
4) ???
5) Get into med school.

The reason for this is that AMCAS does not allow you to store letters. That means that if you get a letter too early and do not have an Interfolio account, you won't be able to have it sent anywhere. Also, if you don't get in on your first attempt (60% of applicants don't), then you'll have to ask your letter writers to upload again. This is a big hassle that you can avoid by using Interfolio! So do that! 🙂

 

[optimistic3]

Yep, use interfolio like the others have suggested. It's a file storage website where your letter writers can upload their letter. Then when you apply, you can send your letters electronically from interfolio to AMCAS.

I want to ask a follow up question because I'm in a similar situation. This may help OP as well. If you get a letter one or two years before you apply, does that look bad? I'm graduating this year but I'm not applying until next year. I want to get my letters now before I move out of state (so I can talk to them in person and also so they don't forget me!). Do you think that's OK or should I wait until next year to ask them? That way, it'd have to be only through email. I do also plan on getting a letter from someone during my year off, too.

OP is applying 2 years after her letters are written. Any insight on that timeline?

 

[Coco28]

Thanks everyone for your input! I will check out Interfolio!

I had also wondered how it would look to potential medical schools if I have letters that are a few years old, but I have developed really good relationships with some professors and I'm confident they would write me a wonderful recommendation.

 

[turayza]

@Coco28 @optimistic3
If you have a great relationship with a faculty member, ask them for the rec now while they can talk about details/examples of how you demonstrate good traits. You should tell them that it is for med school a few years out but that you enjoyed their class/etc so wanted to ask them now. Before you apply, send them an update with what you've been up to and ask if they can update the date on their LOR for you.

 

[mimelim]

Can you clarify "good relationship"? I would be very wary about using letters, especially multiple, from early in undergrad.

 

[Coco28]

Can you clarify "good relationship"? I would be very wary about using letters, especially multiple, from early in undergrad.

I'm actually going into what should be my senior year of undergrad. I would be able to graduate in 2015, but I decided that I wanted to go to medical school sort of late, and I will need an extra semester or two to finish the pre-med requirements.

I was a TA for a professor for one semester, and I had her for two other classes. She's invited me to help her with research so we've stayed in contact for a good amount of my undergrad career.

 

[Coco28]

@Coco28 @optimistic3
If you have a great relationship with a faculty member, ask them for the rec now while they can talk about details/examples of how you demonstrate good traits. You should tell them that it is for med school a few years out but that you enjoyed their class/etc so wanted to ask them now. Before you apply, send them an update with what you've been up to and ask if they can update the date on their LOR for you.

Thank you for your reply! I'll be sure to update them on what I've been doing when I ask for the letter!